Year: 2016
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, and Mads Mikkelsen
Tagline: Open Your Mind
Synopsis: After a car accident ends his career, Doctor Stephen Strange discovers the mystic arts as a way to find healing ... and to save the world.
Tagline: Open Your Mind
Synopsis: After a car accident ends his career, Doctor Stephen Strange discovers the mystic arts as a way to find healing ... and to save the world.
Review
Each time I start getting superhero ennui, Marvel throws a twist out there, like Doctor Strange. Sure, in many ways it is a familiar origin story. And yes, there are lots of comparisons to be made with Tony Stark/Iron Man (even down to the goatees). But the magic and the world-warping dimensions are like nothing else we've yet seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Doctor Strange is definitely worth a see.
Before going into the film, I knew nothing about Doctor Strange, the Eye of Agamoto, the Ancient One, or anything else from that part of the comic book universe. So I went in with an unbiased mind that was ready to suspend my disbelief and be entertained. And I was.
From the very first scene, we see this is something new. Rather than explosions blowing up city streets, we've got sorcerer's bending, twisting, and otherwise contorting city streets and buildings. It's like Inception on steroids. And it is awesome. The visuals in this film are fantastic. In addition to warping our world, we also get glimpses of other dimensions within the multi-verse. When the Ancient One is introducing Strange to magic it is downright trippy. One review I saw described that part as an LSD trip on film. Weird as it is, it's cool to look at.
One element I enjoyed in this film were the new characters. Wong (Benedict Wong) is a no nonsense, no laughing, no taking books without permission librarian. The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) is an apparently ageless Celtic mystic who manages to teach Strange while throwing in a some great snarky lines. Also enjoyable is Doctor Palmer (Rachel McAdams) who is amazingly good at taking things in stride when her former boyfriend shows up first physically and then in his "astral" form.
The villain, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), is a bit generic. I can't think of anything new he brings to the villain table (other than weird eye makeup). He's a worthy enough opponent for an origin story. But it is clear Strange will find a new nemesis.
As for Strange himself, I enjoyed his character. Before his accident, he's completely full of himself. After his accident, he's completely desperate. As the film progresses, you see both of those sides within him as he matures in magic. He's also very witty and his strategy during the film's climax is clever.
My favorite character, however, isn't even a person. The Cloak of Levitation is a relic that sort of adopts Strange. As a magical relic, it is imbued with various powers, but it also seems to have a certain amount of sentience. It protects Strange from others and even from himself. It sort of reminded me of Carpet from Aladdin.
As a Marvel film, Doctor Strange makes sure to remind us it is within the MCU. There are several prominent shots of the Avengers Tower in New York City. There's an oblique reference to Rhodey and his injury in Captain America: Civil War. There's the obligatory Stan Lee cameo. And if that weren't enough, the mid-credits scene solidifies Doctor Strange's place in the world of superheroes.
Doctor Strange is yet another win in the Marvel lineup. The visuals alone are worth the cost of a movie ticket. And the rest of the film is enjoyable as well. Be sure to stay through all the credits.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Whenever someone said Mordo's name, I kept thinking of "Mordor." This made it rather confusing and hard to accept him as a good character. But as the end of the film hints, and the end credits scene shows, that likely won't be a problem in the inevitable sequel.
Oh look, another Infinity Stone. Have we found them all yet? I'm seriously losing track.
Before going into the film, I knew nothing about Doctor Strange, the Eye of Agamoto, the Ancient One, or anything else from that part of the comic book universe. So I went in with an unbiased mind that was ready to suspend my disbelief and be entertained. And I was.
From the very first scene, we see this is something new. Rather than explosions blowing up city streets, we've got sorcerer's bending, twisting, and otherwise contorting city streets and buildings. It's like Inception on steroids. And it is awesome. The visuals in this film are fantastic. In addition to warping our world, we also get glimpses of other dimensions within the multi-verse. When the Ancient One is introducing Strange to magic it is downright trippy. One review I saw described that part as an LSD trip on film. Weird as it is, it's cool to look at.
One element I enjoyed in this film were the new characters. Wong (Benedict Wong) is a no nonsense, no laughing, no taking books without permission librarian. The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) is an apparently ageless Celtic mystic who manages to teach Strange while throwing in a some great snarky lines. Also enjoyable is Doctor Palmer (Rachel McAdams) who is amazingly good at taking things in stride when her former boyfriend shows up first physically and then in his "astral" form.
The villain, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), is a bit generic. I can't think of anything new he brings to the villain table (other than weird eye makeup). He's a worthy enough opponent for an origin story. But it is clear Strange will find a new nemesis.
As for Strange himself, I enjoyed his character. Before his accident, he's completely full of himself. After his accident, he's completely desperate. As the film progresses, you see both of those sides within him as he matures in magic. He's also very witty and his strategy during the film's climax is clever.
My favorite character, however, isn't even a person. The Cloak of Levitation is a relic that sort of adopts Strange. As a magical relic, it is imbued with various powers, but it also seems to have a certain amount of sentience. It protects Strange from others and even from himself. It sort of reminded me of Carpet from Aladdin.
As a Marvel film, Doctor Strange makes sure to remind us it is within the MCU. There are several prominent shots of the Avengers Tower in New York City. There's an oblique reference to Rhodey and his injury in Captain America: Civil War. There's the obligatory Stan Lee cameo. And if that weren't enough, the mid-credits scene solidifies Doctor Strange's place in the world of superheroes.
Doctor Strange is yet another win in the Marvel lineup. The visuals alone are worth the cost of a movie ticket. And the rest of the film is enjoyable as well. Be sure to stay through all the credits.
*** Spoiler Section ***
Whenever someone said Mordo's name, I kept thinking of "Mordor." This made it rather confusing and hard to accept him as a good character. But as the end of the film hints, and the end credits scene shows, that likely won't be a problem in the inevitable sequel.
Oh look, another Infinity Stone. Have we found them all yet? I'm seriously losing track.
Quotable Quotes
- "What's this, my mantra?" "It's the Wi-Fi password. We're not savages." -- Strange and Mordo
- "How's your Sanskrit?" "I'm fluent in Google Translate." -- Wong and Strange
- "Dormammu, I've come to bargain." -- Strange
- "They put the warnings at the end." -- Strange to Kaecilius
ISFS
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